This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Andrew Lane, Core D Director The primary aims of the core are to provide infrastructure for and support to structural analysis and metabolomics of cancer cells and tissue, and for producing proteins in high yield suitable for NMR analysis. This includes stable isotope labeling strategies including N-15 and C-13 precursors. Our goals continue to be to streamline both data collection and analysis as well as introduce new labeling strategies to provide more detailed information about specific metabolic pathways. Established researchers and new recruits to the program are realizing the benefits of the core facility for their research. This includes both protein production for biophysical analyses by X-ray crystallography, NMR and Biophysics, as well as extensive use of the metabolomics capabilities of the Core (see below). Efforts are being made to ensure that new recruits are fully cognizant of the core facilities and will be actively encouraged to use the unique capabilities. Dr. Chi Li (Project 6) is beginning to use metabolomics approaches for understanding metabolic consequences of apoptotic proteins on isolated mitochondria. Dr. Geoffrey Clark (Project 7) is using the Protein Expression core to produce human DNMT3b (DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 beta) as a GST fusion that will be used for characterization and biological experiments. Dr. Magda Kucia (Project 10) is working on stem cells for regenerative therapy. In addition to characterizing the gene expression profile of such cells during expansion, she is interested in determining the metabolic phenotype of such cells to learn about the precise requirements for growth and differentiation in terms of energy and anabolic metabolism. Dr. Hong Ye (COBRE graduate) makes use of the expression core facilities for protein production, advice and analysis and will need the NMR capabilities for some functional analyses of the proteins whose structures she has solved by X-ray diffraction methods. Dr. Jason Chesney (COBRE graduate) has continued to make extensive use of the facility and has been analyzing the metabolic consequences of expression of iPFK2 and ras (and effects of RNAi knockdowns) as well as the effects of immortalization via hTERT and large T antigen expression in a number of cell types including Jurkat cells, MCF-7, bronchial epithelia and fibroblasts. Metabolite profiles and isotopomer analyses using the NMR facility have been instrumental in discovering consequences of cellular perturbations on the road to transformation (with sometimes surprising results), as well as validating (or otherwise) potential anticancer target enzymes. Some of this work has now been published and other manuscripts are in preparation. Dr. Binks Wattenberg (COBRE graduate) is expressing sphingosine kinase using transient expression in insect cells and also in bacteria (E. coli). The enzyme in the latter case enters inclusion bodies and has to be refolded after purification. The protein expression laboratory is working on purification schemes based on hexahis affinity chromatography, as well as calmodulin affinity chromatography, which has been shown to separate folded SK from unfolded enzyme. This will be used for biophysical studies, including crystallography, ligand binding, and NMR analyses. In addition, he has been analyzing the solution properties of targeting peptides using the NMR facility.
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